The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has directed its members to immediately cease gas and crude oil supplies to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery. This decision follows the alleged sack of 800 workers by the refinery’s management last Thursday.

Reasons Behind the Action

PENGASSAN claims the workers were terminated for exercising their constitutional right to unionize, which the union sees as an anti-labour practice. The refinery, however, describes the exercise as part of an ongoing reorganisation to protect the facility from repeated acts of sabotage that had raised safety concerns and hampered operations.

Directives Issued to Members

The union’s General Secretary, Comrade Lumumba Ighotemu Okugbawa, issued a memo to branch chairmen in key oil and gas companies, including:
– TotalEnergies
– Renaissances
– Chevron
– Shell Nigeria Gas
– Oando
– Seplat Producing Nigeria Unlimited

The directives include:
– Cutting off gas supply to the Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC) effective immediately
– Shutting all crude oil supply valves to the refinery
– Halting vessel loading operations for the refinery

Potential Impact

Industry analysts warn that the supply cutoff could cascade into broader disruptions, affecting diesel, aviation fuel, and petrol production. This standoff builds on simmering tensions between Dangote Group and oil unions, potentially testing labor laws in a sector critical to Nigeria’s economy.